The Mareth Line 1943: The end in Africa (Campaign)
Ken Ford
Language: English
Pages: 96
ISBN: 178096093X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The battle of El Alamein in World War II saw the shattering of Germany's hopes for victory in North Africa. From this point on the end was inevitable, as Rommel's forces began the long retreat that was to end in Tunisia in May 1943 when, hemmed in by British and American forces on all sides, over 250,000 Axis soldiers filed into prisoner of war camps, a number comparable to those captured at Stalingrad.
In the six months that passed between Alamein and the final surrender there was much hard fighting, as the defeated German and Italian Panzer Army sought to hold off the encroaching Eighth Army in a series of defensive positions across the Western Desert. Rommel, his health suffering from the strains of command, fought a number of major actions during this campaign - at El Agheila, Mersa el Brega, Buerat and Medenine - before his forces settled into the pre-war French defensive position the Mareth Line. All the way he was pursued by an increasingly confident Eighth Army under the command of General Montgomery, but never was Montgomery able to outflank the retreating German and Italian forces decisively, and Rommel was even able to divert forces to inflict a sharp defeat on the newly arrived US forces at Kasserine Pass in February 1943. This was one of Rommel's last acts in the Desert War as his health problems forced his return to Germany shortly afterwards. The stage was now set for the last great battle of the Desert War as the veteran formations of the British Eighth Army took on their foes in the Afrikakorps for one last time in the major set-piece battle for the Mareth Line.
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precarious position. Their supply lines were so stretched that they could not possibly attack the Buerat Line for some weeks. Further meetings with the other two field marshals degenerated into rows. The senior commanders all agreed that it might be best for Rommel to be replaced some time in the future by an Italian commander and for him to be returned to Germany for a rest. Reluctantly they agreed that without the means or intention of holding Eighth Army it was inevitable that Tripoli would be
Panzergrenadiers. Even some of Ramcke’s paratroopers were thrown against them. Very soon each of the captured strongpoints was retaken. The poorly gunned Valentine tanks could not deal with the more heavily armed PzKpfw IIIs and IVs and were picked off one by one. In the face of this great pressure the exposed battalions of the Durham Light Infantry gave way, gradually being forced back towards the wadi. They fought tenaciously as they withdrew through the 72 © Osprey Publishing •
Panzergrenadiers. Even some of Ramcke’s paratroopers were thrown against them. Very soon each of the captured strongpoints was retaken. The poorly gunned Valentine tanks could not deal with the more heavily armed PzKpfw IIIs and IVs and were picked off one by one. In the face of this great pressure the exposed battalions of the Durham Light Infantry gave way, gradually being forced back towards the wadi. They fought tenaciously as they withdrew through the 72 © Osprey Publishing •
in the early North African battles and held the Ruweisat Ridge during both actions at El Alamein. After the second battle it was dispersed only to be re-formed just before the events at Mareth. The division consisted of battalions of infantry from many of the leading Indian regiments with its men coming from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds including contingents from the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths. The division was usually composed of two Indian brigades (taken from 5th, 7th and
to the enemy and, second, to support ground troops. The arrival of more Spitfire squadrons allowed it to deal with any appearance by the Luftwaffe. The concept of tactical air support was refined by the use of fighter-bombers working under the direction of forward air controllers located at the front with the leading army units. Tank-busting Hurricane fighters firing two 40mm cannons added to its armoury. BOTTOM Dramatic and impressive night-time shot of a Daimler armoured car in the desert with
